Late last year, OnePlus debuted the Ace Pro Genshin Impact Edition smartphone in China. We eventually got our hands on a unit to test out after some time.
For the Chinese market, the OnePlus Ace Pro is essentially a OnePlus 10T with a different branding. Read on to learn more about what the Genshin Impact Edition offers in contrast.
ONEPLUS Ace Pro Specifications
What Is In The Box?
Unlike the standard OnePlus Ace Pro box, the Limited Edition come in a large box full of Genshin Impact themed goodies and merchandise:
- OnePlus Ace Pro Genshin Impact Edition smartphone
- Hu Tao acrylic display
- Boo Tao standee
- Heat dispersing phone case
- Themed 160W fast charger
- Staff of Homa themed sim tray remover
- Hu Tao poster
- Invitation letter to the Traveler
- Hu Tao emote stickers
- Warranty information and user manual
Design
Hu Tao, a beloved character from Genshin Impact, served as a major design inspiration for the OnePlus Ace Pro Genshin Impact Edition. The back of the phone has Hu Tao’s ‘Butterfly in Thaw’ motif throughout, such as a butterfly above the OnePlus logo, flames and a Hu Tao character art the the bottom. The lock screen buttons and volume rockers also got the crimson treatment.
The bundled hard-shell phone case has a red background material and a 3D butterfly theme. The heat-absorbent soft backing of the case also functions as a heat dispersion material to aid in cooling the phone down.
Also included in the theming are the accessories. You also receive a charger with a butterfly theme and an exquisite Staff of Homa sim tray puller.
Display
The OnePlus Ace Pro Genshin Impact Edition comes equipped with a 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED display. Images are sharp and colours are vivid. Coupled with the powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, transitions and animations feel instant to the touch.
However, the 6.7-inch screen does feel a bit too large for my hands, despite the excellent screen-to-body ratio. One Handed Mode is recommended if you prefer so.
User Experience
As it is a smartphone for the Chinese market, the OnePlus Ace Pro has the Chinese version of ColorOS installed. That means no Google apps and Play Store.
Instead, you get Chinese apps like Bilibili, Baidu, Weibo and App Market pre-installed. I had to look up the Mandarin names for each app I need, and sometimes I had to install via APK files as most games are limited to the Chinese server.
You could bypass this by purchasing the phone with global ROM installed via grey imports, but you most likely are not covered by any official warranty.
Despite all of my complaints with Chinese ROM, I do enjoy how far OnePlus took the Hu Tao theming on the software front. You get Hu Tao themed keyboards, ringtones, live wallpapers, and the Always-On Display, which shows a Liyue themed clock. No formal warranty applies to them.
Performance
For 2022, the OnePlus Ace Pro Genshin Impact Edition will be a flagship model. So, a lot of performance is possible right out of the box.
In terms of gaming performance, Genshin Impact ran at a steady 58–60 frames per second. Arena of Valor is one of several games that play smoothly and with little latency.
Camera
The Ace Pro sports a triple camera array with a 50MP main shooter with OIS, a 2MP macro, and a 8MP ultrawide. While the macro and ultrawide cameras are not great by any means, the 50MP main camera takes good if not stellar pictures. Images are sharp and colours lean towards the warm side.
Nevertheless, the photographs are frequently over-sharpened during post-processing, particularly in low light. Sometimes the bokeh in portrait mode appeared patchy rather than swirly.
You would get a respectable exposure with night mode on but less detail. I prefer utilizing pro mode with slower shutter speeds while using the adequate OIS to balance my shots.
Audio
The twin speakers on the OnePlus Ace Pro Genshin Impact Edition produce high-quality audio. There is a small amount of sub-bass present throughout, and the mids and highs sound balanced.
Although it lacks a 3.5mm headphone connector, it does support Bluetooth 5.2 and the aptX HD codec. You can anticipate good audio at low latencies when used in conjunction with a good set of TWS earbuds.
Battery Life
There is a 4,800mAh battery within the phone. With heavy use, the battery life is respectable and can last the entire day. With more prudent usage, I could get two days out of the battery.
Hardcore mobile gamers will value the 160W fast charger’s ability to charge the phone from 0% to 100% in less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless, wireless charging is not available.
Final Thoughts
The OnePlus Ace Pro Genshin Impact Edition is a testament to how good brand collaborations can be. With the rich Hu Tao theming and products, it doesn’t hold back.
